Impolite Questions

People used to know that there are just some things that you do not ask. If the person with whom one is talking wants to share that informatoin he or she will voluntarily do so without prompting. Otherwise - don't!

Sometimes it is not that there is anything wrong with the information itself, but rahter that some information is personal and appropriate for close kindred, not to be bantered about in the general public. Of course a problem associated with this is that many peole today assume a familiarity with a person where there is none, or where there is they take the liberty of assuming far too much familiarity - more than that to which they are entitled. Many peole feel that if they are family (some family are that close - your immediate family) or just by being friends at all then there should be mo boundaries between you and them. Wrong! Respect pthers privacy, repsect their boundaries and when they indicate that they are reticient to discuss someting , balk or otherwise try to decline - allow them to - it is their right!

Some heinous examples:

Forced Familiarity
Prevous blog on phoning - callers, customer service representatives and other complete strangers immediately address a person by the first name when they have not even been introduced. A person shoudl be addressed with the name which they give yo in the introdution. To call them something other than what they asked you to call them is rude. To call them by first name when you do not knwo them and particularly when you have not even introduced yourself is a major slap in the face. Many companies have trained employees to use the first name to try to create familiarity. What they neglect is that one should not force familiarity on someone! It is rather like being raped. Likewise taking the liberty of calling a person what you want to call them , instead of what they asked to be called is quite disrespectul.

How Old Are You?
It used to be well known that this is just unacceptable, unless you have a legitimate need to know (medical doctor, for example). It is just not done! Yet, people keep doing it. People who are mere aquaintances, people who are colleagues, people whom I have literally just met, and people who are complete and utterstrangers feel it is their God-given right to be privy to the personal information of others. They do so with impunity!

Do You Have Any Children?
Now, if you really know me, you would probably know the answer to this. If you do not know me, you shoud not ask. If we are both by mutual agreement engaged in the process of activity gettgin to know one another then a certain level of permission has been given. When you first meet someone, you do not have the right to pry. This is just coarse.